DBT is a subtype of Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Both types of therapy are talk therapy where your therapist helps you better understand your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. There is a significant overlap between DBT and CBT. However, as noted, DBT was originally developed as a treatment for borderline personality disorder which is characterized by dramatic mood swings that can have severe effects on relationships. Therefore, DBT is different from CBT in that it focuses more on the psychosocial aspects of treatment, i.e., managing emotions and relationships.

DBT Modules or Core Skills Dialectical behavior therapy teaches you four core skills, which are also called modules. These skills help you accept your thoughts and behaviors and work towards effectively changing them. You can think of these skills as the “active ingredients” that are critical for leading a happy, balanced life.

Core Mindfulness is a skill that teaches you to live in the moment. You learn to become aware of the present and pay attention to what is happening around you. This can help you fine-tune your senses and process your sensations, thoughts, feelings, and impulses without judgment. By developing mindfulness skills, you are better able to handle emotional upheavals. The strategies you learn during DBT sessions help you stay calm and focused without automatically engaging in negative thoughts and impulsive behavior during difficult situations.

Exercise: A simple core mindfulness exercise is focusing on your breath and paying attention to the sensation of inhaling and exhaling.

Distress tolerance is a skill that helps you in moments of crisis. You learn to accept yourself and your current situation and deal with it without causing self-harm. During DBT sessions, you learn four techniques for crisis management – improving the moment despite difficulties, distracting yourself until you’re calm enough to deal with the situation, soothing yourself to feel at peace, and rationally thinking of the pros and cons of a coping strategy. By developing distress tolerance skills, you are better able to cope with intense emotions and maintain a positive outlook.

Exercise: Allow intense emotions to flow through your body by distracting yourself with physical activity, for example, by going up and down stairs or walking around your neighborhood.

Interpersonal effectiveness is a skill that helps you manage intense emotions that make it hard to relate to others. You learn to become more assertive while still maintaining healthy relationships. During DBT sessions, you learn social skills, such as how to communicate more effectively and deal with challenging relationships while maintaining your self-respect and respect for others.

Exercise: In your communication with others, remember to be gentle and non-threatening, to develop good listening skills and show interest in others, to acknowledge other people’s feelings and thoughts, and to maintain an easy or light-hearted attitude.

Emotional regulation is a skill that helps you navigate powerful emotions more effectively before they can lead to a chain of harmful reactions. During DBT sessions, you learn to recognize and give names to intense emotions like anger and learn skills to cope with them. The result is that you are more mindful of your emotions and do not give in to emotional urges. This reduced emotional vulnerability allows you to have more positive emotional experiences in difficult life situations.

Exercise: Identify your emotions and do the opposite action. For instance, if you’re feeling angry and want to have it out with a friend, write in a journal instead.